Israel retaliates for the killing of its soldier and the rocket fire from Lebanon and Syria, raising tensions in the region.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) carried out a series of airstrikes against Hezbollah and Syrian military targets over the weekend, in retaliation for the killing of an Israeli soldier and the wounding of several others by the Lebanese militant group on Wednesday.
According to the IDF, the strikes targeted terrorist infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah in the Jabal Balat area near the Lebanese border, as well as military buildings in the Bin Jbeil area. The IDF said that the strikes were aimed at preventing Hezbollah from launching further attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers, and that they held the Lebanese government responsible for the actions of the group.
The IDF also confirmed that it bombed a Syrian Army weapons depot in the area of the town Mhajjah near the Golan Heights on Saturday morning, in response to the firing of rockets from Syria towards Israel on Friday night. The IDF said that the rockets were launched by Iranian-backed militias operating in Syria, and that they were intercepted by the Iron Dome system. The IDF warned that it would not tolerate any aggression from Syria or Iran, and that it would continue to defend its sovereignty and security.
The escalation in the north came after Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack on an IDF patrol near the border on Wednesday, in which an Israeli soldier was killed and several others were injured by anti-tank missiles. Hezbollah said that the attack was a revenge for the killing of one of its members in an alleged Israeli airstrike in Syria in July. The IDF responded by firing artillery shells and launching airstrikes on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, sparking fears of a wider conflict.
Attempts to Deescalate the Situation
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which monitors the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, called for restraint and urged both sides to respect the 2006 resolution that ended the last war between them. The UNIFIL commander, Major General Stefano Del Col, said that he was in contact with both parties and that he was working to de-escalate the situation and prevent further violence.
The United States, which is a close ally of Israel, expressed its support for Israel’s right to self-defense and condemned the attacks by Hezbollah and the Iranian-backed militias. The US State Department spokesperson, Ned Price, said that the US was concerned about the destabilizing activities of Iran and its proxies in the region, and that the US was committed to helping Israel maintain its qualitative military edge.
The European Union, which is a major donor to Lebanon, also called for calm and urged both sides to avoid any actions that could jeopardize the stability of the region. The EU spokesperson, Peter Stano, said that the EU was following the developments with great concern and that the EU was ready to support the efforts of UNIFIL and the international community to preserve the peace and security in the area.
